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February 2017 MONUMENTALLY SPEAKING National Boer War Memorial Association Newsletter for NSW, SA, WA and ACT Artist’s impression NUMBER 30 – FEBRUARY 2017 NATIONAL BOER WAR MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION National Patron: Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin AC NSW Committee of NBWMA Inc – Chairman: David Deasey NSW Chairman’s Message involvement that has led to the Memorial Welcome to 2017. We stand at the brink project. We also take a look at the full of our most exciting period of time as design and show some of the technical we head toward the dedication of the intricacies behind the sculptures. Finally memorial, 31 May 2017 at 11am. All of our we have some fascinating stories of supporters and interested members of soldiers and equipment from the war the public are invited to attend this great This has been a great endeavour which occasion. The Organising Committee has spanned 15 years at this point. We hopes to have TV screens in place so that have set the target of funds to be raised all attendees can see where ever they are in this financial year at $100.000. As at placed. Seating will be limited compared December 2016 approximately $35.000 to the numbers likely to attend and had been raised, (over $20.000 from NSW) formal invitations for this seating will be leaving $65.000 still short of the target. issued shortly. Please don’t let that stop This issue will be just about our last you from coming, everyone is welcome. chance of getting those funds in. So Inside this issue we look at the please – if you are thinking of donating – circumstances behind Australia’s Boer War please do it now. David Deasey We’re getting closer but we still need funds Monumentally Speaking is a periodic newsletter of the National Boer War Memorial Association Correspondence and donations to Building 96, Victoria Barracks, Paddington, NSW 2021. A MONUMENTAL MASTERPIECE n our centre spread this issue The Copper Walls Iwe revisit the full design of the Two large, copper clad walls emerge On its front face will be an extract of A memorial for which we have all from the surrounding landscape to B Paterson’s 1902 poem On the Trek. worked for so long. define the memorial space. The walls When the dash and the excitement The Sculptor of the horsemen is are aligned to the dominant parallel and the novelty are dead, Louis Laumen whose task it will be geometry of Anzac Parade to create And you’ve seen a load of wounded to bring the design to life. Landscape a simple yet strong framing of the once or twice, design was jointly by Pod Landscape memorial. Or you’ve Architecture and Jane Cavanough. The different heights of the walls The memorial will be an inspired reflect their different functions; the design of Australian troopers higher back wall is a backdrop to watched mounted on war horses breaking the bronze sculptures, your old mate through the trees of ANZAC Parade and the lower dying, with the Canberra. front vultures overhead -- The sculptures of a section of four Well, you wonder if the war is horsemen, one and a half life worth the price. size, are dynamic, bold and And down along the Monaro now wall they’re starting out to shear, frames I can picture the excitement and the row; the ceremonial But they’ll miss me on the Lachlan forecourt while when they call the roll this year, allowing interpretation to For we’re going on a long job now. be read along its top. The faces of each wall will be composites of A.B Paterson 1902 several large, hand-forged copper More at www.bwm.org.au realistic. sheets joined with rivets and finished The positioning and postures of in a green copper patina. the troopers create dynamism and On top of the lower front copper tension. Each horse and soldier is wall will be nine bronze replica In this issue portrayed with individual character journals showing extracts of the and movement in the act of letters of Private F H Booth (No128) NSW Chairman’s Message ...................1 patrolling, searching and watching. 2nd Victorian Mounted Rifles which A Monumental Masterpiece ..............2 The history-capturing design will give a continuous picture of a typical bring a new note to Australia’s soldier’s twelve months of service. Book a Speaker .......................................3 national memorial precinct which We are very excited to be able to NSW Committee .....................................3 leads to the Australian War Memorial. include excerpts of letters sent It will commemorate Australia’s first home by Private Frederick Harper National and State Contacts ..............3 war as a federated nation. Booth that tell the personal story of ACT and SA Committees .....................3 The design embraces the horseman the excitement of arriving in Cape Town, moving out to the front, as the bushman folk hero of Why Are We Involved? ..........................4 Australian culture, an independent fighting, disgruntlement, hunger, and resourceful Australian exhaustion, the necessity for the The 15 Pounders ....................................5 scorched earth policy and rounding acclimatised to a tough existence Memorial’s Design - pictures .........6-7 on the land. The significance of the up of women and children into four troopers is that they represent concentration camps. These have Sir Edward Chaytor ................................8 a four-man section, a formation for been archived and made available From South Australia ............................9 fighting and patrolling. When they for use in the Boer War Memorial by went into combat three men would his grandchildren including author Charles Cameron Stewart ................ 10 dismount while the fourth would Peter Fitzsimons. lead the horses to cover. This display Also on the top of the front wall Commemorative Envelopes ........... 10 of interaction and observation is will be three bronze plaques giving Jonathon H B Martin .......................... 11 reflected in the placement of the the history of the war from the horses in the setting. Australian perspective Kandos Poster ...................................... 12 Page 2 – Monumentally Speaking Newsletter number 30 – February 2017 An invitation from David Deasey, Chairman, NSW Committee of NBWMA Book a Speaker for Your Association on’t hesitate to contact me to arrange delighted to put our first war as a nation Da speaker for your association. Our into context. 23,000 Australian soldiers and lively presentations are about 40 minutes nurses served, 1,000 did not return. We are allowing time after for questions, but are remembering them. often adapted for both shorter and longer Regardless of the duration of the periods to meet your needs, lunchtime or a presentation requested, our speakers need conference. a working computer, video projector and The story of Australia’s contribution to the screen for supporting visuals and, for larger Boer War is little known. Our presenters are groups, a microphone. David Deasey To arrange for a speaker contact David Deasey – 0409 585 877 NSW SCHEDULE OF PRESENTATIONS 2017 - David Deasey or Tony Lanarch-Jones will be at the following 11 Feb 2.00 pm NSW Military History Society 99 York St DD 27 Feb 10.15 am Double Bay Women’s Probus Group Club Rose Bay(Rose Bay RSL) DD 14 Feb 7.00 am North Sydney Sunrise Rotary Club Piato Restaurant, McMahons Point TL-J 13 Apr 6.30 pm Mortdale RSL Sub Branch Mortdale RSL DD 2 May 9.30 am Carlingford Men’s Probus Club Muirfield Golf Club DD TIO E NA NA H L B T O R E O R F W E NOW T A A SO THAT IT CAN R N BE COMPLETED M O E D M PRIOR TO E O S R A 31 MAY 2017 I A E L L P Monumentally Speaking Newsletter number 30 – February 2017 – Page 3 Why are we involved in this Memorial Project? Sir Granville de laune Ryrie General Sir Harry Chauvel Dame Emma Maud McCarthy Sir Thomas William Glasgow Sir William Throsby Bridges hy have we embarked on this women) who were either in South Four Australian women (one in British Wjourney? The committee felt Africa or who paid their own way service) would be awarded the Royal that as we close in on the project’s served in British and South African Red Cross, whilst four others would completion, we should revisit for all irregular units. It was the first war that be Mentioned in Dispatches. Many of our readers what this is all about. Australian women would serve in Boer War veterans would go on to On 11 October conspicuous service in World War ; 1899 war broke amongst the most notable names out between the being William Throsby Bridges, Harry Boer republics Chauvel, Thomas William Glasgow, and Great Britain. Granville Ryrie, H E ‘Pompey’ Elliott, The causes were Nellie Gould and Emma Maude of long standing McCarthy. Four Australian Boer War and still excite veterans would be awarded the Victoria passions today. At that time there Australian uniform Cross in World War One. It is estimated was no Australian government, and in which that fifteen percent of the assault force only six individual state or colonial the firstat Gallipoli on the morning of 25 April governments as well as New Zealand. Australian 1915 were Boer War veterans. Everyone, however, knew that woman Some Boer War veterans, including Sir nationhood was on the way in 1901. would die on Harry Chauvel, would continue service Australians saw it as our fight and, active service. into World War Two. Approximately one despite initial opposition from the Without the Boer War experience the AIF thousand Australians British War Office, were determined as we know it in World War One would would die on campaign, over six to be involved.
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